Suspected land grabber land in court for theft, assault
A51-year-old man, Oladele Ahmed, was on Tuesday arraigned in a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, for alleged land grabbing and assault.
Ahmed, whose house address was not given, was arraigned on seven count charges bordering on conspiracy, forcible entry, stealing, willful damage to property and assault occasioning harm.
Police prosecutor, SP Idowu Osungbure, told the court that the defendant committed the offences sometime in Oct. 2021, at Ado Town, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area (LGA), of Lagos State.
Osungbure said the defendant allegedly forced his way into a land which belonged to the Abule Ado family, and which they had sold to new owners, and tried to claim the property as his own.
She alleged that the defendant, in the process, damaged some bags of cement, blocks and other building materials, valued at N5 million belonging to Mr Anthony Agupusi and David Nwize, and their company, GodsFavour Multi-properties Ltd, the new owners of the land.
The prosecutor alleged that the defendant also stole 40 pieces of Iron rods, planks, cements and other building materials, valued at N10 million.
Osungbure further alleged that the defendant also invaded the plots of land with stern looking men, who attacked Nwize and two other persons, Miss Judith Obiezue and Mr Isiaka Adio, with cutlasses and sticks and caused them bodily injuries.
She said the offences contravened sections 411, 52, 173, 350 and 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015, (Revised).
Ahmed, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Olatunbosun Adeola, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N10 million with three responsible sureties in like sum.
Olatunbosun held that one of the sureties must submit copies of their National Identification Number (NIN), and their Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) cards to the court’s registrar.
She also directed that all three sureties must be resident within the court’s jurisdiction, and that they must be gainfully employed.
The Magistrate also ruled that the sureties must show evidence of an affidavit of means, and three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government, as part of the bail conditions.
She further ordered that one of the sureties must be a land owner.
Adeola adjourned the case until August 3, for further mention.
